The Underworld
by Briar's EquinoX
Summary: A young girl escapes from her life in slavery on a quest to end the exploitation of women and to find out her true identity. She encounters many obstacles along the way which she will have to overcome on her way to success.
1. Bryony

The Underworld  
Chapter 1 ~ Bryony  
  
Author's Note: This is rated R because the main character is a prostitute in a Tortallan brothel. This story details her escape from sex slavery and how she goes on a crusade to save abused young women and discover her true identity. I'm sorry if you find it offensive, but I felt I had to write this. Please R/R.  
  
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Bryony woke up in the grimy corner of the room that had become familiar to her over the past few years. Cigar smoke hung throughout the dirty building, infiltrating the air. Plaster crumbled out of the whitewashed walls turned yellow from decades of abuse. The floorboards creaked when you walked on them and they were worn down from the scraping of many stools and the footsteps of many rich men who came to this place for some forbidden entertainment. Above, you could hear the sounds of the girls rendering their services to their wealthy clients.   
  
Bryony hated this building with every scrap of her being. Tekla had brought her here three years ago when she was 12. She was a street urchin. She stole loaves of bread and picked pockets for a living. Tekla came to all the homeless kids and spun a tale of a warm household with thick woolen blankets and three satiating meals a day. Once you were there you never had to leave and all you had to do to earn these luxuries was to do a few 'odd jobs'. They had all followed her here but once they discovered Tekla's tale was a falsehood it was too late ot leave. They were the unseen prisoners of Tortall.  
  
The reality of living here was much worse than what Bryony could ever have imagined before. They had ragged worn clothes, thin blankets and little more food than they would have eaten on the streets of Corus. And the odd jobs were the most hideous and disgusting, shameful, humiliations Bryony had ever been put through. Ten times worse than the icy stares of rich snobs who paraded by on the streets, flaunting their wealth and turning up their noses at the unpleasant sights of the homeless.   
  
Tekla lay down the law as soon as they were settled into their new home. If you were caught trying to escape, you were beaten. If you told anyone about what happened during the nights in the basement of the building you would be beaten. If you were caught stealing you would be beaten. You could be beaten for almost anything and Tekla beat anyone if she felt like it for no good reason. You were always to be polite to your customers and you must fulfill all their requests, however obscene and disgusting they may be.   
  
Bryony was a slave. She did whatever Tekla did for fear of what her punishment might be. She had already tried disobeying and had learned a harsh and painful lesson about what you got for insubordination. And Bryony knew in the back of her heart that her life should be better and so should the other girls' lives! They deserved more. They desperately needed the freedom everyone in Tortall was supposed to have. All the girls said secret hopeful prayers to the Great Mother Goddess when Tekla wasn't watching, praying for salvation from this terrible slavery.  
  
But so far it hadn't come. So that day after giving a pleasurable experience to a young gentleman with a pot belly and a salt and pepper mustache who paid her a gold noble and sneered at her, Bryony decided tomorrow would be different. She would escape and get help for herself and all the other young girls exploited by secret Tortallan brothels. The kingdom had wronged all its citizens by letting this shocking crime happen and they would all pay! 


	2. Escape

The Underworld  
Chapter 2 ~ Escape  
  
A/N: Thanks for the positive reviews guys! You rock. Thanks to Daughter of Darkness, The Dark Lady Adrienne, Clementine Queen and Sorceress Knight. This story is actually inspired by the book, Acorna: The Unicorn Girl By Anne McAffrey so she deserves some of the credit. Please R/R!  
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Bryony put on her "seductive clothing" that all the girls wore when they went onto the streets to solicit customers. It was actually very ragged and dirty and practically hung down to her knees exposing most of her body to the cold. But Bryony supposed that was the point.  
  
Tekla growled menacingly at Bryony about bringing in enough money to pay for all the food she ate and mumbled about how Bryony was more trouble than she was worth. Bryony knew that was a complete lie. She was underfed, underclothed and she brought in more income than any of the other girls.   
  
Bryony held her head high and pretended she hadn't heard Tekla as she walked out of the door. Tekla cracked her whip across Bryony's back. It took all of her strength not to cry out and give Tekla the satisfaction she wanted. Tekla could never break Bryony's free spirit. It was probably what had kept her alive this long.  
  
But today, Bryony knew she would go through with her escape plan. Her lower lip trembled at the thought. This was a reckless, risky thing to do. But if she succeeded Bryony could be free from the slavery that held her hostage. Her sould could fly in the warm breezy air she could only stare out at from dark, smoky windows before. It would take all of Bryony's courage, bravery and will to turn her back on the bit of familiar life she had known, even if it was a bad memory.  
  
What if Tekla found her? What if she was attacked on the streets and killed? What if she starved and died a cold, hungry death? Bryony pushed these thoughts out of her head. After tonight, things would get better. And with that thought she entered a tavern with a sign labelling it as The Dancing Dove. 


	3. The Dancing Dove

The Underworld  
Chapter 3 ~ The Dancing Dove  
  
Bryony walked into the brightly lit building. Unlike places she had been before it had an aura of good cheer inside it. There was a hustle and bustle as serving maids brought mugs of beer and platters of steaming food to customers. Almost everyone was smiling, laughing or dancing. People talked merrily and ate the delicious spread put before them.  
  
She stepped carefully through the crowd of people milling about inside and walked over to the counter where a servant girl was cheerfully washing plates and humming to herself. Bryony had no idea what she was doing, but seeing all this happiness made her feel so lonely that she decided to try and talk to the maid who looked about her age.  
  
"Um... Excuse me, miss. How much would a warm roll cost?" Bryony asked timidly.   
  
She felt around in her threadbare pockets to see if she actually had any money to spend. She didn't. Not even a half-penny. Bryony almost burst into tears. The serving girl must have seen this in her eyes because she immediately took a liking to the poor, skinny creature standing in front of her.  
  
"They normally cost a penny, but in your case I'll make a special exception" she said with a smile.  
  
"Oh no, I wouldn't want charity... I wouldn't want to intrude..." Bryony was so shy she almost ran away.  
  
"It is no trouble at all. I recognize a friend in need when I see one. I think you deserve a warm roll more than most of the people here tonight." she reached onto a shelf behind her that held the food items and produced a sticky bun for Bryony.   
  
Bryony tore into it at once and devoured it in mere seconds, forgetting that this was extremely rude and she should mind her manners. She was so famished and half starved that she could barely even notice how she was acting. The serving girl looked shocked at this behaviour. She immediately went into the back kitchens of the tavern and brought back a small tray with several warm loaves of bread.  
  
"I think you'll appreciate these indeed. I've ne'er seen a soul scoff food tha' fast! You must have been starving!"  
  
Bryony nodded, her mouth full of bread. She ate all the food in silence before bursting into tears and apologizing profusely.  
  
"Oh! Miss... I am so sorry! First I barge in with my bad manners and then I inhale this food without even saying thank you. I owe you something! Anything! Just say it..."  
  
"Well. You can start by telling me your name and where you came from. And how it is that they treated you badly enough for you to come to bein' tha' hungry! Oh yes, my name is Rosetta."  
  
Bryony launched into the whole story of her life (which was rather short because she couldn't remember much) and gave Rosetta all the details. Instead of looking shocked like most people were when they found out Bryony was a prostitute, Rosetta's face looked thoughtful and sad.  
  
"Ah, yes. I see. It's very bad times these days that people are coming to this. Me own aunt was a whore a long time back. She escaped from her master, who was a cruel ol' 'un, yes he was. It's a good thing I found you when I did too. This Tekla woman, whoever she is will most certainly be searching for you tomorrow morning when she finds out you're missing." Seeing tears appear in Bryony's eyes again she quickly added, "But I won't let that happen. You can come home with me after my shift is over and we'll find you some new clothes, a good meal and a good hot bath."  
  
Bryony almost bowed down and grovelled, before Rosetta told her that she would have none of that and she was simply doing a good deed for a fellow kindred spirit. Bryony's luck was already changing for the better. She now had a roof over her head, food in her stomach and pretty soon she would finally be able to cast off those rags she'd been wearing for years. She smiled and grabbed Rosetta's hand as they skipped through the moonlit streets of Corus to Rosetta's home loft. 


	4. Rosetta

The Underworld   
Chapter 4 ~ Rosetta  
  
Bryony and Rosetta approached a tall whitewashed building in the dark. A warm glow emanated from an upstairs window of the house. The two girls ascended the staircase quietly and opened a door into a small, homelike apartment with comfortable furnishings and pastel colours painted on the wall. A small girl slept in a trundle bed in the corner of the room and two friendly looking adults sat on wooden chairs around a fireplace on the far side of the room.  
  
"It isn't much but it's home." Rosetta said with a warm tone heavy with love and affection. "Ma, Da, this is Bryony. I met her a' tha' Dove and she's a friend who needs a plece ti stay for awhile. Is it alright if we give 'er a roof o'er her head an' a bed for a time?"  
  
The motherly looking woman smiled and her face creased into congenial wrinkles that lit up her face with kindness and caring. It was a face that spoke volumes about how she had a hard life, but appreciated the little aspects and loved her family very much. Bryony didn't even realize she noticed these odd things anymore. Since she was a child she had been mildly clairvoyant and could discover things about people others couldn't. Her friends had come to know this and trusted her instincts, which were usually right.  
  
The woman spoke with a voice that sounded like warm milk with honey, soft and sweet. "Oh yes, m'dearie that sounds fine wi' me. Mithros knows, we've sheltered enough weary gaels like yourself that another wi' make no difference. We're glad to do the good work an' lend a helpin' hand to those in need of it. Welcome to my home." Her brow furrowed for a second then the woman realized she had forgotten to introduce herself. "Oh yes, lassie. Please call me Mum. Ev'ryone does, so it'll make narry a difference."  
  
Bryony curtsied with tears in her eyes and a soft spot in her heart. Though she had only known these people for five minutes, she could clearly see they had hearts in the right places. "Oh thank you Ma'am, I mean Mum," she grinned sheepishly and was rewarded with chuckled, "I thank you ever so much for your boundless generosity. You can't possibly realize how much it means to me."  
  
This time the man responded. He also seemed friendly with an aura of protective, fatherly love about him. He wasn't the sort of man who had come for Bryony's services at the brothel. "Oh, we know it's helping. This isn't the first time we've given a poor young thing like yourself somewhere to spend the night. It's only the right thing to do, we could never turn you out on the street at night. We know the horrid things that go on out there."  
  
Bryony fought hard to control her composure but an inkling of facial expression must have leaked onto her visage, because she saw these people give her sympathetic looks. "They know!" she thought ashamedly. "I'll never be able to look them in the eyes again!".  
  
Rosetta patted her new friend on the shoulder lovingly. "Oh Bryony, we won't ever hold it against ya' what some mean ol' witch made 'ya do to earn some bread and water. Lots of girls like yourself started off on the streets but made their way to better professions with a little help. It's nothin' to be embarassed about. Some of the tavern wenches a' the Dove used to be one. Some people will look down on 'ye o' course, but those are the rude 'uns who dun have an inklin' of wha' it's like to live in tha gutter."  
  
Bryony was comfortd by these nice people's support. It meant a lot to her. She yawned widely. It had been a busy day.  
  
"Oh my, lookee here! It seems to me we have two sleepy gaels on our hands, Fredrick!" Mum said with amusement in her voice.  
  
Pa laughed and agreed, "Yuppers. It looks loike you're right Martha, I'm athinkin' tha' they might wanna high tail it to the loft, do you think so too?"  
  
With a giggle, Rosetta tugged on Bryony's collar and they raced up the attic stairs and tumbled down on the soft straw-filled mattress to have sweet dreams. The moonlight shone down brightly through the glass paned window, which was the pride of Fredrick and Martha, on two contented, rosy-cheeked figures fast asleep.  
  
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A/N: Aww, isn't that sweet. Review please! Or else I will not continue. I've decided that this will end like a Tortallan Cinderella story. Give your feedback, ideas and constructive criticisms. 


	5. New Clothes

The Underworld  
Chapter 5 ~ New Clothes  
  
A/N: Thanks for all of the positive review guys! It means a lot to me, especially Hyperchick88, Daine, Lady Isabelle, Irene Firebane and my previous reviewers. In your reviews tell me who you think Bryony's parents should be. I'm thinking of something along the lines of nobles who lost their child long ago. Don't worry, Bryony will have *plenty* of obstacles on her path to true happiness. Please R/R!  
  
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Bryony awoke with a contented sigh the next morning. A pale and soft sunbeam shone through the cold air and illuminated frosty dust motes. It started off shining on Bryony's nose then worked its way down to her toes, safely tucked under a quilt and a down duvet and warmed them. But the cold it had just taken away reminded her of how winter was roaring into Corus with a frigid blast. She was lucky she had managed to get off the streets last night.   
  
Rosetta's family were so generous, and she hadn't even had time to tell them anything about herself. She didn't even know their last name! That reminded Bryony, where was her new friend anyway?  
  
She pushed off the heavy blankets and sheets piled on her and padded softly down the stairs into the kitchen of the small apartment. In the night Martha must have come in to check on her and make sure she was warm enough. Bryony mentally reminded herself to call Martha Mum. If it made the kind woman happy, then it was fine with her. She didn't remember ever having a mother. She supposed her own mum must be dead. But she could never be sure...  
  
Entering the kitchen she was given a warm reception by Rosetta and her mum.   
  
"It's about time you woke up sleepyhead!" Rosetta chuckled merrily.  
  
"Goddess only knows you were so tired you needed to sleep for 40 days and nights!" Martha added with mirth.  
  
Bryony yawned lazily. "I can't believe I slept in this late! It's never happened before. What time is it anyway?" She glanced out the tiny window with its clouded panes of glass and saw that the sun was almost overhead. Goodness!  
  
"Why the palace bells just rang out eleven o'clock dearie! You had quite the restful morning. But never mind that, I'm sure it did your poor soul good. Now lets find you some nicer clothes to wear, those ones are ever so shabby. I would be ashamed to let a pretty young thing like yourself leave my doors wearing that!" Martha placed emphasis on the last word, expressing her disgust at Bryony's raggedy garment without saying so aloud.   
  
"We can start sewing you a fine new wardrobe just like a noble lady's!" Rosetta cried out in ecstasy and grabbed Bryony's skinny hands and twirled her around the room. She dropped them abruptly realizing how silly she looked and sat down at the table again to get back to business. "But in the meantime you can explore my closet full of clothes and try to find something suitable. I haven't got much, but I'm always willing to share what I do have."  
  
Before Bryony could argue that she could never accept something like that, Rosetta put a finger on her lips and told her to hush. She pranced up the stairs jovially and beckoned for Bryony to follow. She filled the air with an aura of happiness and good cheer so enticing that even Bryony forgot her troubles and smiled and laughed a little.   
  
The dresses Rosetta pulled out of a miniscule closet tucked into a corner of the small room were plain and simple - all homespun garb, but in Bryony's eyes they were the most luxurious things ever. She had never seen anything fancy and beautiful and had nothing to compare them with.   
  
Brown woolen skirts, grey fleecy dresses, creamy coloured muslin sweaters and teal cotton scarves and tunics. There were no silks or velvet frocks, but everything was pretty in its own way. They had all been made with a loving hand, mended and stitched up flawlessly by an excellent hand at sewing.   
  
Bryony sighed in joy and pure delight and tried on everything Rosetta handed her. They spent a good part of the afternoon giggling, comparing outfits and pondering whether different arrangements of clothes looked well together. But Rosetta didn't have a huge amount of apparel so they ran out of garments after a short time. Bryony chose two sets of skirts, blouses and kerchiefs to last her a while before new clothes were made.  
  
"Now." Rosetta said sternly with a firmness in her unwavering voice. "We need to decide what we'll sew for you to wear. You need more than that!" she said pointing at the small pile resting on the end of the bed.   
  
"Well..." Bryony mumbled undecidely. "You've done too much for me already. I don't want to intrude or take your precious material. Anything we could possibly find would be acceptable."  
  
"Dont' be stupid!" Roseta exclaimed with a hint of anger threating to explode. "Will you please drop it? You don't have to grovel or thank us profusely, you've already done plenty. We want to help you! Besides," she added in a friendlier tone, "it's been a lot of fun discussing clothes!"  
  
"Well, okay. If you insist." Bryony added nervously. "I have a confession to make. I don't know how to sew. Tekla never let us. She said it was a stupid waste of time and we should be out making more money for her then squandering our energy on useless things."  
  
"Well I have news for you. Tekla is a stupid bitch who knows absolutely nothing about what's best for a woman! You don't have to listen to what Tekla said, that part of your life is over. The rest of today we are going to spend teaching YOU how to make clothes!"  
  
They both laughed and eagerly threw themselves into the task at hand with vigour and a determined energy. 


	6. Baron George Cooper

The Underworld  
Chapter 6 ~ Baron George Cooper  
  
AN: Thanks to all who reviewed, especially TheLadySong! I decided to keep going. I want at least 12 reviews before I'll continue, I don't think it's too much to ask.  
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After an afternoon of laughing, sharing stories and sewing Bryony and Rosetta ate a delicious meal with the family. Not 'the' family, Bryony corrected herself. They were her family now. But deep down inside her, she felt a longing for something she had never known or someone she had never known. Were her parents out there still? Were they looking for her? Did they think about her at night right before they went to sleep like she did for them? Bryony sighed inwardly, put on a smile and talked politely with Rosetta and her parents and younger siblings.   
  
After supper Rosetta had to go to work at the Dancing Dove. Her job there brought in extra money for the family that helped them scrape by in the bad times. Bryony was unsure of what she was supposed to do. Although she was gradually warming up to Fredrick and Martha, she was still a bit uncomfortable around them. Spending an evening with them alone would be trying and would make Bryony nervous.  
  
"Hello? Bryony are you listening?" Rosetta's voice jolted Bryony back to reality.  
  
"I'm sorry, I was in a world of my own."   
  
"I'll say! Well, I was asking, do you want a job?"  
  
"A job? Well, I don't know..." Remembering all the kindness this family had shown her Bryony suddenly realized this would be a subtle way of paying them back! "Why yes of course. That would be a nice way to occupy my time wouldn't it?"  
  
"I know just the place! How about you come with me to work tonight and I'll try and get you started as a maid like me! I'm sure the owner would take you on, we have a shortage of able girls to fill the positions."  
  
"That sounds like fun!" Bryony said with real excitement in her voice.   
  
"Well it's hard labour, but it's quite rewarding and it pays well. Let's be on our way!"  
  
The two girls slipped into their good clothes, which for Bryony were new clothes too, and walked down the alleys of Corus on the way to the Dancing Dove. The sounds of laughter, drunken revelry and the hum of quiet comversations filled the air around the tavern.   
  
They slipped behind the broad oak counter at the front of the large room. Rosetta began whispering quickly to a cheerful looking man who must have been her employer. Unlike Tekla, this master looked friendly and caring. Bryony was discovering new things about people every day!  
  
Rosetta skipped happily over with a grin plastered to her face. "You got the job!" she said excitedly then led Bryony over to the back room where she picked out her own apron to wear when she was serving that showed she worked at the pub.  
  
Then the two girls started working. They took orders, carried mugs of frothy beer, delivered steaming food and mouth-watering dishes to tables around the room and scrubbed the counter down until it sparkled. Unlike some visitors to the Dancing Dove, Bryony was not shocked by the rogues and thieves at all, she had grown up in their midst and was used to their lively antics.  
  
Just then, a robed visitor entered the tavern. His face was covered by a dark hood and he had an air of mystery around him. His name was Baron George Cooper of Pirate's Swoop and he was exhausted from riding all the way from his seaside manor. He was the former King of Thieves, but had settled down to an 'honest' living with his wife and children. None of the rogues recognized him or his companion though.   
  
They were seated by Bryony who answered their questions politely and made small talk about the weather while they decided what to order. When they finally came to a decision she slipped back to the counter and relayed the information to Rosetta.   
  
When he was sure she was out of earshot George addressed a question to his companion, who happened to be the Crown Prince Liam of Conte. "Who is that girl who served us? She seems vaguely familiar. I recognize her face and mannerisms very much, but I can't put my finger on it."  
  
"I get the same feeling as well!" Liam added quietly. When you were surrounded by rogues you always needed to speak quietly to protect your secrets from curious ears. "Maybe she is the daughter of someone we know?"  
  
"I don't know for sure... Maybe it is just a coincidence and my aging eyes are failing me." George smiled and chuckled at his joke. "But I don't think that likely. She has piqued my curiosity and I want to know who she is. When she leaves tonight let us follow her."  
  
"Excellent idea!"  
  
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After their shift was over at almost midnihgt Rosetta and Bryony deposited their aprons in the back room and exited the Dancing Dove. They were careful to be quiet and inconspicuous so as not to attract attention from the bad people of Corus who lurked in the streets at night.   
  
They barely even noticed the two shadows that followed them all the way to their apartment. The shadows were careful never to step into light from an open window, but always hide behind corners and watch with the eyes of hawks. When the girls opened the door and went into the small house the shadows took note and sealed a picture of the dwelling into their minds. They would be back. 


End file.
